Cheers & Jeers: David Morse Does Knockout Work on Lights Out

The 57-year-old actor is no stranger to quality TV drama, from his 1982-88 stint as oft-stricken Dr. Jack Morrison on St. Elsewhere to his recent HBO one-two punch of John Adams (he played George Washington) and Treme. He also had a showy role as a gung ho colonel in last year's Oscar-winning best picture The Hurt Locker.

But FX's underdog drama allowed Morse to show his most vulnerable side with his heartbreaking turn as Jerry "The Rainmaker" Raines, a punched-out ex-champ who served as a kind of Ghost of Boxing Future for Lights Leary (Holt McCallany) as he grapples with pugilistic dementia on the eve of his comeback title fight. Come Emmy time, both Morse and McCallany deserve to be heavyweight contenders.